100 degrees on the thermostat? Enough. It’s paleta time. Not the kind from a truck or the supermarket fridge. Forget neon colors and ingredients created in a chemist’s laboratory. We prefer icy treats made with natural ingredients, creativity and maybe even a little love.

Buongiorno, Los Angeles! We are going to have a quick Italian lesson. This is a term that you are going to need to know from now on: “Pasta dalla forma.” What is it? Pasta dalla forma is the specialty of a new restaurant, Forma, on Montana.

The three most common cups of coffee in Los Angeles: 1. Joe: made in an old, stained coffee maker in the office corner. Underwhelming. 2. The soy latte served by a hipster barista. Comes with an upturned nose and a plunge in your self esteem. Worth the Instagram photo? Questionable. 3. A frozen mocha with whipped cream that makes up your daily calorie allowance. Hit the gym.

The locals of Culver City are a sneaky group. Ask them about restaurants and things to do in the neighborhood and they will almost surely direct you to their bustling, albeit dazzlingly historical, downtown. What they won’t tell you about is a spot that they have kept to themselves for the last 80 years.

Here, you may not know the person to your left...nor the one to your right. Shy smiles are exchanged. They will become your friends within the next two hours though. That is because you share the same indisputable obsession. What brings a group of strangers to this tiny shop after hours? It's the love of cheese.

Five years ago, Chef Youssef turned his kitchen into a laboratory. He gave up cheese himself and began experimenting. In the end, he created 17 different types of artisanal, dairy and soy-free cheeses.